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1985
This is a list of various things that took place in 1985. Significant events Unknown date :* The WWF releases its first series of VHS videos through its new home video company Coliseum Video. Released in the spring of 1985, the first videos were "Best of the WWF" (highlights of classic matches and feud recaps); "Hulkamania" (reviewing Hulk Hogan's first year as WWF Heavyweight Champion) and "WWF's Bloopers, Bleeps, & Bodyslams" (a showcase of comical events and bloopers, partially inspired by the popular Dick Clark-hosted "TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes"). Also included in the initial wave of releases was a video of the first WrestleMania. Future waves of video releases came roughly every three months, always with three videos released at a time January :*1 - The first WWF Prime Time Wrestling show is aired on the USA Network, featuring Jack Reynolds and Jesse Ventura as hosts; Gorilla Monsoon would be the lead host by the end of 1985, with Ventura continuing as co-host until being replaced by Bobby Heenan sometime in 1986. At this point, Prime Time Wrestling was a collection of matches from the WWF's syndicated programs, arena shows and original matches, plus commentary on the matches and feuds February :*18 - "The War To Settle The Score" -- a match between WWF Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs. challenger "Rowdy" Roddy Piper -- is broadcast live on MTV. It is the second wrestling event to air on MTV (with "The Brawl to End It All" airing a year earlier). The events of both matches played heavily into the headlining matches of the upcoming WrestleMania event, and like "... Brawl," "... Score" made heavily use of mainstream celebrities March :*1 - A match pitting the Road Warriors against Baron Von Raschke and Curt Hennig in Hammond, Indiana ends in a no-contest when the Warriors assault referee Larry Lisowski and when Hawk strikes and bloodies Hennig with a chair shot to the head as Hennig has his head entangled between the top and middle ropes, prompting match commentator Larry Hennig to run in and make the save for his son. A fan riot breaks out in the Hammond Civic Center in the aftermath of the match as the Warriors and manager Paul Ellering have to fight their way through enraged fans to get back to the locker room area, with one fan striking Hawk over the head with a chair during the riot in presumed retaliation for Hawk's earlier chair strike on Curt Hennig :*10 - Bill Watts' Mid-South Wrestling debuts on TBS :*31 - The first WrestleMania takes place at New York City's Madison Square Garden. The main event -- meant to cash in on growing mainstream popularity of professional wrestling and the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection -- features Hulk Hogan and Mr. T vs. Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff, and involves celebrities including Muhammad Ali, Billy Martin and Liberace. The event is a huge success and began an annual tradition April :*Vince McMahon sells his TBS World Championship Wrestling time slot to Jim Crockett Promotions, nine months after acquiring Georgia Championship Wrestling and taking over its TBS show :* 29 - Hulk Hogan is featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine on the issue with this day's cover date, as part of a feature on the immense popularity of professional wrestling. Although it was neither the first nor last stories published on professional wrestling, Hogan (to date) is the only active professional wrestler to be featured on the publication's cover. May :*11 - The WWF's Saturday Night's Main Event debuts on NBC, bringing pro wrestling back to broadcast network TV after a 30-year absence :*18 - The WWF's monthly card from the Boston Garden is aired for the first time on the New England Sports Network; the relationship would last for four years. Like the WWF's arena shows from the Philadelphia Spectrum (aired on PRISM) and Madison Square Garden (airing on USA Network and the MSG Network), highlights were frequently featured on WWF Prime Time Wrestling, aired weekly on the USA Network :*21 - Pacific Northwest Wrestling holds its inaugural supercard, the 60th Anniversary Wrestling Extravaganza, at a sold-out Portland Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. In the two main events, NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric Flair retains his title by battling Billy Jack Haynes to a time-limit draw, and AWA World Heavyweight Champion Rick Martel retains his title via pinfall over Mike Miller. On the undercard, WWF star and PNW alumnus Roddy Piper makes a one-night return to Portland and pins Buddy Rose, Curt and Larry Hennig defeat the Road Warriors by disqualification, and Sgt. Slaughter beats Kendo Nagasaki June :*Southeastern Championship Wrestling owner/promoter Ron Fuller reacquires the Knoxville territory after short-lived attempts by Jim Crockett Promotions and Georgia Championship Wrestling to promote in the city. With the expansion, SECW changes its name, along with its regionally syndicated TV show, to Continental Championship Wrestling :*17 - During a television taping at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York: :** Terry Funk makes his WWF debut, memorably beating up ring attendant Mel Phillips before a match. Phillips had put Funk's hat on his head since his arms were full of ring gear, angering Funk and prompting the attack. Phillips is helped backstage, shaken up and his suit coat and shirt ripped to shreds but otherwise is okay :** "Macho Man" Randy Savage makes his debut in the WWF, and is pushed as an arrogant heel. Immediately, a storyline is started with the heel managers were hoping to become Savage's manager, only to eventually surprise everyone by introducing a beautiful 25-year-old woman -- Miss Elizabeth (Savage's real-life wife) -- as his manager. During the same TV taping, but aired the following week, Savage's real-life brother, Lanny Poffo, makes his debut (as tag team partner of Pedro Morales), winning a squash match. As will be the case with Miss Elizabeth, the real-life relationship between Savage and Poffo is never mentioned or even referred to on television :** Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo regain the WWF Tag Team Championship, defeating the Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff. This will mark Fred Blassie's last managerial championship prior to his retirement July :*2 - Pro Wrestling Illustrated and its sister publications reinstate world title recognition to the World Wrestling Federation in their magazines August :*27 - The Pro Wrestling USA program debuts on ESPN; within months, the show evolved into AWA Championship Wrestling after the Pro Wrestling USA alliance between the AWA and several NWA affiliates dissolves September :*14 - Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling, a Saturday morning cartoon aimed to cash in on the popularity of professional wrestling and the Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection, debuts on CBS for the start of a two-year run. Actor-comedian Brad Garrett is the voice of Hulk Hogan :*20 - The St. Louis Wrestling Club holds its final event in St. Louis before its purchase by Jim Crockett Promotions October :*Stampede Wrestling resumes operations after Vince McMahon sells the promotion back to the Hart family. With Stampede's return, its TV show on Calgary independent station CFAC-TV also returns, once again hosted by Ed Whalen and syndicated to other markets in Canada and overseas :*22 - In one of his final matches (and what would be his final TV appearance), Rick McGraw faces Roddy Piper at a WWF Championship Wrestling taping in Poughkeepsie, New York (aired on tape delay in first-run syndication on November 2). The match was made following an appearance by McGraw on Piper’s Pit on October 1 (aired on October 26), where he gave Piper a hard time, accusing him of using his interview segment to shoot off his mouth and attack his guests while not bothering to step into the ring on TV to back up his talk, before slapping Piper in the face to end the segment. After McGraw briefly takes control early in the match, Piper takes over and dominates thereafter, culminating the one-sided beatdown with a swinging neckbreaker and two DDTs, the second of which leads to the match being stopped and awarded to Piper after McGraw is ruled unable to continue. As McGraw is subsequently removed from the ring on a stretcher, Piper arrogantly proclaims to the TV camera "That's why they don't let me wrestle on TV!" in reference to the match's outcome. The match aired on TV the day after McGraw's death on November 1, leading to some fans assuming (at a time when kayfabe was still in effect) that McGraw died of injuries inflicted by Piper during the match (even though, in fact, McGraw wrestled a few more matches in the interim between that match and his death from a heart attack). Piper, a real-life friend of McGraw's off-camera, mourned his passing and subsequently headlined a show in McGraw's hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina to benefit McGraw's family November :* The Wrestling Album is released on Epic Records, and consists of entrance themes used by WWF wrestlers; the themes are performed either by rock singer and musician Rick Derringer and/or the WWF's personalities. The most notable track on the album is "Real American," which during the fall of 1985 was used as the theme of the U.S. Express (Barry Windham and Mike Rotundo), although by very early January 1986 (with Windham and Rotundo having departed the WWF) the song was given to Hulk Hogan (Hogan himself was initially given a different track, "Hulk's Theme," which initially served as his entrance music and was also used as the theme for Hulk Hogan's Rock 'n' Wrestling) :*7 - The Wrestling Classic becomes the WWF's first supercard with widespread availability on pay-per-view television (although closed-circuit arenas also made the show available). The event consisted of a 16-wrestler, single-elimination tournament plus a non-tournament match pitting WWF Heavyweight Champion Hulk Hogan vs. Roddy Piper (in one of their final matches of their year-long feud). The tournament was won by the Junkyard Dog, defeating Randy Savage by countout. Although this event was the only one to be called "The Wrestling Classic," the single-elimination tournament format would be used on a recurring basis as "King of the Ring," which at one point is a pay-per-view event of its own :*22 - Bad News Allen, who gained notoriety as a heel in Stampede Wrestling for his violent matches and provocative TV interviews, shocks the promotion by returning as a face and defeats Kerry Brown in Calgary. During an interview with Stampede Wrestling host Ed Whalen, Allen mentions the reason for his change, explaining that his grandfather, who had started him out in the martial arts and in pro wrestling and who had not seen Allen's matches as a wrestler until recently, expressed disappointment over his style in a letter to him, prompting Allen to change his ways out of respect for his grandfatherhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4fSt6czZdc December :*5 - The pilot episode for the Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling program is taped at the Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada Births Unknown :* - Andy Phoenix (Dublin, Ireland) January :*13 - Luke Robinson (Auburn, Maine) February :*3 - Angela Fong (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) :*13 - Shiloh Jonze (Seattle, Washington) :*20 - Damian O'Connor (Belfast, Northern Ireland) March :*20 - Matt Taven (Derry, Hampshire) :*22 - Gilligan Gordon (Churchdown, Gloucester, England) :*23 - Lana (Gainesville, Florida) April :*22 - Jay Lethal (Elizabeth, New Jersey) :*25 - Ted McNaler (Louisville, Kentucky) May :*9 - Esui (Ulan Bator, Mongolia) :*25 - Joe Anoa'i (Pensacola, Florida) June :*6 - Drew Galloway (Ayr, Scotland) :*18 - Derrick Jannetty (Saratoga, Springs, Utah) :*30 - Cody Runnels (Marietta, Georgia) July :*2 - Jessie Belle Smothers (Bardstown, Kentucky) :*3 - Aaron Sharpe (Skegness, England) :*6 - Isak Rain (Norway) :*16 - Q.T. Marshall (Livingston, New Jersey) August :*2 - Harry Smith (Calgary, Alberta) :*14 - Jaysin Strife (Iowa) :*22 - Jonathan Fatu (San Francisco, California) :*22 - Joshua Fatu (San Francisco, California) September :*3 - Cherry Bomb (Toronto, Ontario) :*13 - Big Duke (California) :*26 - Chris Steeler (Woodbridge, New Jersey) October :*5 - Krotch (Yorktown, Virginia) :*26 - Ashley Reed (Basildon, Essex, England) November :*6 - Scott Reed (Manchester, New Hampshire) :*15 - Cat Power (North Sydney, Nova Scotia) December :*7 - Dean Ambrose (Cincinnati, Ohio) :*9 - Claudia del Solis (Houston, Texas) :*21 - Biff Busick (Boston, Massachusetts) :*25 - Miroslav Barnyashev (Plovdiv, Bulgaria) :*28 - Taryn Terrell (New Orleans, Louisiana) Deaths January :*21 - Eddie Graham 55 (Suicide) March :*8 - Bull Curry 71 (Natural causes) September :*1 - Jay Youngblood 30 (Heart attack) November :*1 - Rick McGraw (Heart attack) December :*20 - Tarzan Tyler 58 (Auto accident) Debuts July :*6 - Hubert Sester November :*28 - Sting December :*5 - Jeanne Basone :*5 - Janet Bowers :*5 - Lisa Moretti Events January :*1 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*8 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*22 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling February :*5 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*19 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*26 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling March :*5 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*12 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling April :*21 - AWA StarCage May :*5 - WCCW 2nd Von Erich Memorial Parade Of Champions :*8 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*21 - PNW 60th Anniversary Extravaganza June :*11 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling July :*4 - WCCW Independence Day Star Wars :*6 - NWA The Great American Bash August :*2-7 - WCCW Israel Tour :*6 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*16 - AWA Wrestling for the Cure (Televised event) September :*2 - NWA Battle of the Belts (Organised by Championship Wrestling from Florida) :*2 - WCCW Labor Day Star Wars :*24 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*28 - AWA SuperClash October :*1 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*6 - WCCW 2nd Cotton Bowl Extravaganza :*8 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*21 - AJPW 13th Anniversary :*22 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling November :*19 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*26 - WWF Prime Time Wrestling :*28 - NWA Starrcade - "The Gathering" :*28 - WCCW Thanksgiving Star Wars December :*25 - WCCW Christmas Star Wars Pay-Per-View events March :*31 - WWF WrestleMania November :*7 - WWF The Wrestling Classic Title changes January :* The NWA Pacific Television Championship, last held by Robbie Royce, is vacated when Royce leaves NWA All-Star Wrestling :*6 - Brian Blair wins the held-up NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship by defeating Jesse Barr in Orlando, Florida :*10 - Mr. Pogo wins the NWA Central States Heavyweight Championship from Harley Race in Kansas City, Kansas :*16 - Rick Rude wins the NWA Florida Southern Heavyweight Championship from Pez Whatley in Tampa, Florida :*21 - The US Express (Mike Rotundo and Barry Windham) win the WWF Tag Team Championship from Adrian Adonis and Dick Murdoch in Hartford, Connecticut February :*8 - Chris Adams wins the NWA American Heavyweight Championship from Kerry Von Erich in Dallas, Texas :*12 - Jesse Barr wins the NWA Florida title from Brian Blair in Tampa :*18 - Leilani Kai wins the WWF Women's Championship from Wendi Richter in New York City :*23 - Karl Steiner wins the NWA Pacific Northwest Heavyweight Championship from Bobby Jaggers in Portland, Oregon March :*16 - Buzz Tyler wins the NWA Mid-Atlantic Heavyweight Championship from Ron Bass in Greensboro, North Carolina :*18 - Ivan and Nikita Koloff win the NWA World Tag Team Championship from Dusty Rhodes and Manny Fernandez in Fayetteville, North Carolina :*19 - Sonny Myers defeats Oly Olsen to win the vacant NWA Pacific TV title in Burnaby, British Columbia :*23 - Magnum TA wins the NWA United States Heavyweight Championship from Wahoo McDaniel in Charlotte, North Carolina :*31 - Wendi Richter regains the WWF Women's title from Leilani Kai at WrestleMania in New York City; Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff win the WWF Tag Team title from the US Express at WrestleMania April :*10 - Brian Blair wins the NWA Florida Southern title from Rick Rude in Tampa :*14 - Bobby Jaggers regains the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Karl Steiner in Centralia, Washington :*28 - Hector Guerrero wins the NWA Florida title from Jesse Barr in Orlando May :*4 - Mike Miller wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Bobby Jaggers in Portland (the title is vacated later in the year) :*26 - Hercules Hernandez wins the NWA Florida Southern title from Brian Blair in Orlando June :*8 - Black Bart wins the NWA National Heavyweight Championship from Ron Garvin in Atlanta, Georgia :*30 - Hercules Hernandez wins the NWA Florida title from Hector Guerrero in Orlando July :* The NWA Florida Southern and Florida titles, last held by Hercules Hernandez, are both vacated when Hernandez is fired from Championship Wrestling From Florida for a locker room fight with Wahoo McDaniel; the NWA Mid-Atlantic title is vacated when previous champion Buzz Tyler leaves Jim Crockett Promotions :*5 - Iceman Parsons wins the NWA American title from Chris Adams in Dallas :*7 - Tito Santana wins the WWF Intercontinental Championship from Greg Valentine in Baltimore, Maryland :*21 - Tully Blanchard wins the NWA United States title from Magnum TA in Charlotte; Rick Rude regains the vacant NWA Florida Southern title in a tournament final over Mike Graham in Orlando :*23 - Jack Hart wins the vacant NWA Florida title by defeating Mike Graham in a tournament final in Tampa August :*2 - Harley Race wins the NWA Missouri Heavyweight Championship from Jerry Blackwell in St. Louis, Missouri :*3 - Ricky Vaughn wins the vacant NWA Pacific Northwest title in a tournament final over Mike Miller in Portland :* 24 - Greg Valentine and Brutus Beefcake win the WWF Tag Team title from the US Express in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania September :*2 - Kendall Windham wins the NWA Florida title from Jack Hart in Tampa :*22 - Terry Taylor wins the NWA National title from Black Bart in Atlanta; Marty Jannetty wins the NWA Central States title from Mr. Pogo in Des Moines, Iowa :*29 - Jim Garvin and Steve Regal win the AWA World Tag Team Championship from the Road Warriors in St. Paul, Minnesota October :*2 - Wahoo McDaniel wins the NWA Florida Southern title from Rick Rude in Tampa :*25 - Honky Tonk Wayne and Ron Starr win the vacant Stampede International Tag Team Championship in a tournament final over Kerry Brown and Hubert Gallant in Calgary, Alberta November :*4 - Rick Rude wins the NWA American title from Iceman Parsons in Fort Worth, Texas :*9 - Bobby Jaggers wins the NWA Pacific Northwest title from Ricky Vaughn in Portland :*19 - Lex Luger wins the NWA Florida Southern title from Wahoo McDaniel in Tampa :*21 - Kerry Brown wins the Stampede North American Heavyweight Championship from Davey Boy Smith in Edmonton, Alberta :*25 - Fabulous Moolah wins the WWF Women's title from Wendi Richter in New York City (Moolah wrestles the match as the masked Spider, then gets unmasked by Richter after the referee delivers a fast three-count against Richter) :*28 - Magnum TA regains the NWA United States title from Tully Blanchard at Starrcade 1985 in Greensboro; Buddy Landel wins the NWA National title from Terry Taylor at the Greensboro portion of Starrcade; Krusher Krushchev wins the vacant NWA Mid-Atlantic title in a tournament final over Sam Houston at the Greensboro portion of Starrcade; Dusty Rhodes wins the NWA World Heavyweight Championship from Ric Flair at the Atlanta portion of Starrcade (the title is later returned to Flair and the result changed to a disqualification win for Rhodes due to interference by Ole and Arn Anderson during the match) December :*5 - Brett Sawyer wins the NWA Central States title from Marty Jannetty in Kansas City, Kansas :*17 - "Bulldog" Bob Brown wins the NWA Central States title from Brett Sawyer in Ames, Iowa :*19 - Dusty Rhodes is awarded the NWA National title when previous champion Buddy Landel is fired from Jim Crockett Promotions due to drug issues (JCP claims that Rhodes defeated Landel for the title on this date in Albuquerque, New Mexico) :*29 - Stan Hansen wins the AWA World Heavyweight Championship from Rick Martel in East Rutherford, New Jersey See also Category:Wrestling Years